Bossypants by Tina Fey

I think Tina Fey is hilarious, and hearing her take on her life was awesome. There is no question in my mind that she deserved the Mark Twain Prize .

I get to boss my puppy around. His name is Zeb, and he is a lovable poop machine with a bladder the size of a peanut.

Surviving Your Stupid Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School by Adam Ruben (PhD!)

A-freaking-MAZING. This book made me laugh out loud with its clever diagrams and painfully true assessments of life as a grad student. After a semester of grad school, things are starting to feel less overwhelming, but there are some aspects of it that I do not think I will ever consider pleasant. I am glad that I have the opportunity to do what I am doing; I am also glad that I am learning to laugh about it (when I don't feel like throwing a book out a window or yelling at undergrads whom fail to grasp the finer points of plagiarism). This picture is of the GA office in which I spend many hours a week.

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

I got several odd looks from family members while reading this book. I think it was the spontaneous bouts of laughter.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

It seems appropriate to end the year with the author who started it. Books that make me laugh are always checked off in my mental win column. The subject really does not matter. If it makes me laugh out loud, I like it, and David Sedaris always makes me laugh. One of his essays in this collection is titled 'Six to Eight Black Men' and is largely about Christmas traditions in Denmark. It made me laugh until I cried.

Thanks for loaning me another one, Angela!

The Southern Belle Primer: Or Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma by Maryln Schwartz

I do not belong to the correct socio-economic class to be considered a Southern belle; however, there are aspects of Southern culture that will stay with me no matter where I live. I will always think sweet tea is God's gift to make summer more bearable. I know that "hot" does not start until the heat index starts creeping into the upper nineties (although it is time to start "buying the air" in mid-April). Eating sliced tomatoes at dinner is a summer staple, and you have to be careful what you say because everyone seems to be related to everyone. Most importantly, I know that to show proper respect, you tack a sir or ma'am onto everything.

This book was silly on purpose, and presented a picture of the Old South that focused on teas, Junior League, silver patterns, and sororities at Ole Miss. My favorite part was the pictures of the "royalty"--from Memphis Cotton Carnival to Natchez Pilgrimage (always a guilty pleasure). I found this book for 25 cents at the Friends of the Library Booksale and thought it would give me a chance to look at my region from a new perspective. I now know for sure that I am not a Southern belle (thank goodness), but I love my region's quirks all the same.

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

I always knew Chelsea Handler was irreverent, but I had know idea she was quite that bad. Terry lent me this one, and we both agree that the prison story is the best one in the whole book.

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew about Judaism by Robert Schoen

Schoen is funny, really funny. He takes a light-hearted approach to explaining Judaism to Christians, a tactic I fully appreciate. He covers everything from bar mitzvahs to shabbat to kosher hot dogs. There is of course more to Judaism then bagels, menorahs, and Fiddler on the Roof, but Schoen uses them all to explain a different world view. The book will not help with any deep, theological inquiries, but it is great if you happen to be looking for a brief introduction to Jewish culture.

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

The book is composed of several short stories that turn holidays on their heads. My personal favorite was about the author's time spent performing that special punishment reserved for bad adults, working as an elf in Macy's Santaland.